Tomb Raider III: UNappreciation thread

[Greenapple968]

Originally Posted by Stryke

Another thing I didn't like was the harpoon. It almost obsolete throughout the entire game imo. There should have more opportunities to use them in battle. Instead of the underwater vehicle. I think I would have like something like an aqua lung baddies/or sea creatures like in Lud Gate's maybe.

I'm glad that the harpoon gun is virtually unnecessary; I'd hate to have to use that heap of junk during a playthrough. Being forced to use the harpoon gun would be a nightmare for me.

Originally Posted by Mek

Now I understand what Maverin meant. When I read Maverin's remark for the first time, I thought about a monkey (the enemy) which falls and dies. I've never experienced that. Today it has come to me that Maverin actually meant Lara's move called "monkey swinging" and Lara falling. This has happened to me. I remember that it can happen in Coastal Village when you do the monkey swinging above the huts to reach a switch. I do the same as you to avoid it.

Ah, I see. Well I'm glad that you now understand what Maverin meant.

Originally Posted by ANoDE

@GreenApple968:
The pink blood was a European thing, I think. Or is it really pink in all versions?

Edit: Oops, scrolling to the last page would have helped - it's already been answered I see.

I live in the UK. I assume that means that I own the European Version, since the UK is part of Europe.

Originally Posted by Kapu

The kayak is the worst vehicle in the history of all video game vehicles.

There's a certain member on this forum who rates the kayak a lot more highly than we do. He won't like seeing your post.

[Tomb Raidering]

• Why did Lara have two different faces, and why didn’t we get the new, cuter one as default?

[CelticGuard]

Originally Posted by Tomb Raidering

• Why did Lara have two different faces, and why didn’t we get the new, cuter one as default?

It's the same face bar the nose textures — for some reason, the nose texture isn't applied on Lara's model, and she ends up looking cuter somehow

[Kirishima]

Originally Posted by Tomb Raidering

• Why did Lara have two different faces, and why didn’t we get the new, cuter one as default?

Screenshot? Whatever picture you were attempting to link won't show up for whatever reason on my pc.

[Pillis]

TRIII is very hit and miss. I think it had among the best cutscenes from the classical and some really good levels and inspired locations such as parts in India, Nevada and Antarctica which are my favourite sets of levels in the game.

But I have go agree with many other people, the difficulty in this game is just tedious, the game only wants to kill you and confuse you with dark and convoluted tunnels with hidden passages.

The lack of tombs and puzzles really bothers me as well, there is no sense of reward once you progress through a level because most of the time it's just you figuring out where to go by randomly exploring very boring and ugly levels like in London (probably the worst set of levels from the classic games).

Also the lack of flares and especially save crystals has always forced me to play this game using cheats, I ain't got time for that. Felt like a blatant design choice to ramp up the difficulty and longevity artificially.

Also what I don't like is the level selection, it seems cool on paper but then the game lacks a sense of adventure and purpose and you might end up playing the scenarios in a non recommendable order.

I would rank the scenarios this way:

01 Antarctica A true tomb raider experience, the first modern setting is innovative with the cold waters and snowy scenery and presents beautiful exploration and a nice level design. Backtracking once you obtain the crowbar makes you aware of what you need to accomplish and the water valve puzzle is cool as you need to find the poster with the correct color scheme. The mines level is not my favourite but it was different and innovative and even if it's a tad confusing it's still feasible and quite fun most of the time. Then finally we gave the tinnos gran finale which is really old school tomb raider, very similar to the original game's feel. Love the Chambers with the trials and picking up the masks and figuring out the levers and keys and the puzzles. Best level in the game.

02 Nevada great exploration with beautiful scenery in the desert with a more linear but fun design. A quad section that is finally well implemented in the narrative and fun platforming. Then the area 51 levels are very cool too, a bit dark and challenging but not as tedious as the London levels. You are required to explore and think, using inmates to kill the guards and collect many keys to proceed. A really fun level that balances nature scenery and modern/urban settings successfully.

03 India I used to love this part of the game but after a recent playthrough I feel that even if it's among the most "tomb raideresque" sections of the game, it also features an open and confusing level design that pisses me off most of the time. You never know where to go, left or right, and the mazes section made of green and dark tunnels are just stupid. There are virtually no puzzles and you proceed by a trial and error approach which is not rewarding at all. Some traps are cool but most of them are just annoying as they kill you the first time then you learn how to avoid them the second time. Boring. The underwater levers order is not hinted anyway, again trial and error. The quad sequence feels useless as you're required to constantly open doors and gates going thorough mazes and dark tunnels.
Still the location is pretty even if too green and confusing and has a few great moments like the battles with the big statues, great platforming sections and cool music.

04 South Pacific looks beautiful but plays horribly. Probably the only decent levels are crashsite and temple of puna but the kayak level is the most tedious and annoying experience in the franchise, some sections are just too deadly, most of the time you have no idea where to go and the levels are huge so the backtracking can be frustrating. Also some deadly traps are just cheap ways to kill you just for the sake of it, the moneybar extravaganza with the fire is a bore as well. But despite the many flaws there are enjoyable moments of exploration and nice platforming sequences although a tad hard to figure out because of the low res textures.

05 London Just awful, dark, tedious, confusing and apparently everything in London wants to kill you. Whether it's a tube station, a museum, a water sewer or whatever that was in lud's gate. The design makes absolutely no sense and there are ZERO puzzles. It's just go to the opposite area of the level to retrieve a random item that randomly fit another random object to retrieve another random item to open a random gate in another random spot...everything is so arbitrary and gloomy. Really among the worst levels from the classic 5

[edumarrom]

Originally Posted by Tomb Raidering

__________________________

• Unforgiving level design with all the cruel traps.
• Save crystals on the PS1 version. Why did they return?
• Literally total darkness on the PS1 version.
• PS1-exclusive effects like footprints and echo.
• Getting ripped off your weapons (+ammos) and medipacks in Nevada. A nightmare for first-time players who selected Nevada last.
• Lud’s Gate.
• The pink blood.
• The story. Artifacts scattered around the world, someone hires you to find them, that someone betrays you and takes away the artifacts, and finally that someone’s a supernatural being. TR1 or TR3? Both.
• The kayak. Oh lord help us!
• Plus the spike traps whilst you’re trying to control the kayak.
• The monkeys that turn into enemies in the second level for no reason.

Bravo! Magnífico! I really love this game, and that's why I feel very agreed with theese UNappreciation statements. This thread was very funny for me

Moreover, I have one more UNappreciation to submit:

In Spain, the dash button was incorrectly setted, due differences between US and Spanish keyboards. You needed to manually set it up in order to sprint in game. I discovered that ability around 12 years later I started to play. Just imagine the pain during some parts of the game, with no more acceleration than keep jumping as much as possible.

So yeah, The missing sprint ability in spanish keyboards is a great honor mention, in my humble opinion.

[Kapu]

Originally Posted by Greenapple968

There's a certain member on this forum who rates the kayak a lot more highly than we do. He won't like seeing your post.

I guess it wouldn't be so bad if you just used it to paddle around, but instead you're tumbling down RAPIDS while trying to avoid DEADLY TRAPS in a vehicle with the responsiveness of a sloth. And the parts where you have to use it to go UP the rapids??? I know it's a video game, but that is not how kayaking works! UGH lol

Who is this kayak lover? Tell me his name. I'm worried about him.

[Greenapple968]

Originally Posted by Kapu

Who is this kayak lover? Tell me his name. I'm worried about him.

His name is Sheepman23. If he sees this post then he might reply, though he's not that active around here anymore.

[CroftGameGirl]

Has anyone seen the review/retrospective that The Game Statistic did on this game? He's done the entire series but this one had me rolling

He's really thorough with his reviews on the games and can notice or word things that I've previously had a feeling for but can't explain. I'd post a link but I don't know if I'm allowed to post something with amusing but foul language, he does a great job at telling the game to **** off, but constructively

[Kapu]

Originally Posted by Greenapple968

His name is Sheepman23. If he sees this post then he might reply, though he's not that active around here anymore.

Thank you, I'll pray for him